Cosmetic applicators, particularly those for eye make-up such as mascara and eye liner, generally comprise a container having a reservoir of cosmetic into which a wand is inserted for loading. The wand normally has a tip portion adapted to function as an applicator for different areas of the body. Quite often this wand is an integral part, or at least attached to, the cap of the container such that, when the cap is in place closing the container, the wand extends into the reservoir and is in contact with the cosmetic. In this condition cosmetic collects on the applicator in excess of that required for use and must be removed before application. Preferably, this is done by a wiping mechanism in the form of a collar within the neck of the container through which the wand passes. As the cap is removed and the wand withdrawn from the container, the collar removes the excess cosmetic that has collected on both the wand and the applicator tip.
The wand in these applicators is commonly round in cross-section and fixedly attached to the inside of the cap. The applicator tip is usually a brush or a pad, also having a generally round cross-section, longitudinally co-extensive with the longitudinal axis of the wand. Furthermore, to achieve a good sea and thereby prevent drying out or contamination of the cosmetic the securing of the cap to the container is usually by means of cooperating threads between the inside of the cap and the outside of the container neck.
U.S. Pat No. 4,922,934 to Gatti discloses a mascara applicator having a means within the cap to rotate the wand and its attached brush when a friction member is released.
Recently, different types of applicator tips for use with these devices have become popular, particularly flat combs and brushes. Such tips do not receive sufficient wiping from the wiping collars used with round tips. Accordingly, wiping collars having rectangular apertures have been devised. However, in order to allow the cap to rotate for application to and removal from the container, the wands of such applicators have remained round which complicates the manufacture of these devices. Particularly in the case of comb type applicators it would be preferred to form the comb on the end of a wand having a flat or irregular shape corresponding to that of the comb. However, such a shape would then prevent cap rotation thereby precluding the use of cooperating threads and the high degree of sealing achieved by that means.
Applicants have devised a method whereby applicators with flat or irregularly shaped wands may be used in conjunction with cosmetic containers having threaded caps wherein the wand extends outward from the inside of the cap along a longitudinal axis so as to depend into the container when the cap is in place.